High Impact Tutoring Program Planning Considerations

Optimal High Impact Tutoring Environment

Research has shown that high-impact tutoring can be very effective in helping students catch up academically, especially in math and reading. It is also an equitable intervention because it can provide intentional, focused instruction for students who have the greatest academic needs.

• Accelerated learning: Students can make significant learning gains in a short period.
• Improved academic outcomes: Students are enabled to access grade-level curriculum, improve their grades, test scores, and overall academic performance.
• Increased student engagement: Students can become more engaged in learning and demonstrate confidence in their abilities.
• Reduced achievement gaps: High-impact tutoring can help close the achievement gap between students from different backgrounds.

Creating an effective high-impact tutoring environment is crucial for student success and the overall learning environment for all students. As administrators and teachers think about the delivery of tutoring within the context of the instructional day, their intervention approach and MTSS structures, the following information may be helpful to consider: Outside of the school day, tutoring requires different considerations to ensure student attendance and that the tutoring seats are maximally used.

• High-Frequency Sessions: Consistent, frequent sessions (3 or more times a week) in an environment supportive of the same tutor.
• Small Group Size: Tutoring in small groups allows for personalized learning instruction and attention.
• Trained Tutors: Tutors are well-trained in the curriculum with the ability to engage students in the learning process.
• Aligned Curriculum: Tutoring is aligned with the curriculum to reinforce classroom learning and foster cohesion across learning contexts.
• Data-Driven Approach: Track student progress and use data to adjust tutoring strategies and ensure academic success.

Define it

Develop Common Language specific to the program's purpose, why it is important, how it will unfold, and most importantly, how it will fit within the context of the district’s already established programming, i.e,. state standards, classroom alignment, and focusing on learners at a specific performance level.

• Create awareness among the entire instructional staff.
• Define roles and responsibilities for those involved in the implementation:
  • On-site coordinators
  • Administrative Lead
  • Content Teachers as defined by the students involved (Math or ELA)
• Define communication and reporting structures for progress monitoring.
  • Use pre-existing time blocks to dedicate 10 minutes to knowing whether tutoring is being implemented as planned (attendance, progress monitoring, engagement, adjusting for student mobility).

Physical Space Considerations

• Tutoring as part of the instructional block:
  • Tutoring is a small-group instructional strategy often delivered in an intervention block within the core instructional period.
  • With classroom organization, tutoring can be folded into already existing small group structures that have a minimum of 30 minutes.
  • Factors that influence the decision to keep tutoring in the classroom are:
    • Total number of students in the classroom
    • Number of students being tutored
    • Classroom size/space
    • Space demands of other small group activities

• Quiet and Distraction-Free in the Core Classroom:
  • Consider a tutoring area free from visual distractions.
  • Consider grouping students by activity within the classroom so that tutored students are in the same general area.
  • For noise reduction purposes, consider having the tutored students facing the outer perimeter of the classroom with their backs to groups engaged in other activities.

• Relocation Considerations:
  • Use an alternative space outside the classroom, i.e., intervention room, media center, cafeteria.
  • Co-locate students from more than one classroom, whose tutoring is at the same time.
  • Ensure that 5 minutes is built in before and after the tutoring session to allow students to travel and get settled in the alternative space.
  • Create a structure for proper supervision of tutoring.

• Necessary Supplies:
  • Have all required technology and other materials readily available in the designated tutoring space.
  • If students do not have headsets, ensure they are located in a consistent and readily accessible area.
  • Students should be encouraged to have a paper and a pencil available.
  • Ensure that the technology department is aware of the technology needs and ensures that equipment is available and usable regularly.

• Management Considerations:
  • In a setting where students are doing more than one activity, which includes tutoring, ensure that any incentive program applies to all small groups within that setting, regardless of the activity.
  • Help all students understand why students are doing different activities within the instructional setting.

• Scheduling Considerations
  • Where possible, leverage already established intervention blocks and dedicated periods of instruction.
  • Avoid the first time block of the day when considering tutoring within the school day.
  • Utilizing before and after school times is best implemented when ground rules for participation are established and conveyed as part of the parent communication and commitment phase of the program.
    • Example: Three missed sessions (without acceptable cause) constitute a reason for replacing the student with another student who needs support.
  • Research shows that during the school day, tutoring is best for students and achieving outcomes.

Attendance and Student Selection for High Impact Tutoring

Think about selecting students who have acceptable school attendance.

There are three main models for prioritizing students for tutoring: need-driven, curriculum-driven, and universal. Decisions about which students to target should vary depending on the needs of the students, schools, and communities. 

• Need-driven:
  • This model targets students who are performing below a certain threshold.
  • It is the most common approach, as research suggests students who are struggling academically benefit most from tutoring.
  • This model is relatively easy to implement, but it can be difficult to identify students who are truly struggling because reliance on an individual assessment can miss some students who need help.
  • In some cases, non-tutored students can benefit indirectly from the reallocation of attention or resources.
• Curriculum-driven:
  • This model targets students at critical stages of their learning development or during school transitions.
    • For example, many tutoring programs occur during first grade because it is a crucial point for literacy development.
• Universal tutoring:
  • Universal tutoring programs offer tutoring to all students in a grade or school.
  • This can help to reduce stigma and support mid- and high-performing students in underserved areas.
  • While more expensive than need-driven or curriculum-driven models, this approach ensures equity without singling out students.
  • Opt-in tutoring programs, although often marketed as universal, often fail to reach those who need tutoring the most and may be inefficient.
  • Tutoring programs can also be both need-driven and universal when districts aim to provide tutoring to all students in low-performing schools.

Littera’s Observations:

Littera has found that districts select students who have satisfactory attendance as a means of ensuring there is an Academic Return on Investment (A-ROI).

• Paying for a seat that remains vacant most of the time due to poor attendance is best used by a student who has academic needs and a satisfactory attendance record.
• The opportunity for the district, school, and student to realize improved academic performance is greatly enhanced when students who have good attendance participate in tutoring. 

However, there is some research that supports the notion that tutoring can improve students’ school attendance.

Preliminary findings highlight:

• Students were less likely to be absent on days when they had a scheduled tutoring session.
• Middle school students experienced the largest positive effects.
• A scheduled tutoring session decreased the probability of being absent.
• The effect of regularly scheduled tutoring would translate into these students attending more days of school over the course of the year.